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09 September 2007

OPEC

Look, I know some of you are loyal Bushies out there and I'll restate again that I don't think that Bush is a moron. But, and this is a big but, he looked like a complete idiot at the OPEC meeting this week. Now, I know what you're thinking. 'Look, Stephe-o, everyone makes mistakes. Bush has to give speeches all the time: he's bound to make mistakes now and then.' Well, here's the problem: the rest of the world thinks Mr. Bush is a moron. This is a pretty strong statement, but travel around a little and you get that feeling. Anyway, when he gets up in front of the APEC meeting and calls it OPEC or called the Australian troops, Austrian troops, or doesn't know how to exit the stage, he looks stupid. And sloppy. My opinion is, if you're leading an unpopular war and everyone thinks you're an idiot, you gotta do your best fight that perception especially on the international stage, if not for yourself, for the sake of the country.

The President is talking about how leadership is being decisive no matter what people think, but that's a shitty leader. A good leader does the right thing AND communicates it well. Bush is an awful communicator. Saying, 'We're making progress. ::hard stare:: It's a difficult battle and the enemy is re-so-lute' is not communicating why keeping our troops in Iraq is a good thing. Ron Paul and Huckabee got in this dumb argument at the Republican debate about honor: how we have to stay in Iraq indefinitely getting the shit kicked out of us because we need to preserve our honor. What a load of bullshit.

This Bin Laden tape is another good example of how Bush just doesn't get it. Bin Laden says that a Western presence in Iraq aggravates the situation and is set to bring doom on America. Bush says, 'I think it's interesting that he mentioned Iraq. Proves Iraq is important for the war on terror.' Wha-? Look, I'm no fan of Bin Laden, but if you want to know why they are upset with us, maybe we should listen to them a little bit. Then we can fight smarter instead of this, 'They hate our freedoms' line. Look, I'm starting to hate our freedoms too.

So if, as Guiliani and Romney and all those guys would have us believe, security is the most important 'freedom' we have, I suggest we all convert to Islam. Nothing is more important than being safe, right?